


Hawaiian Pride

by Kittycrackers (Calacious)



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, General Hospital
Genre: Child Abuse, Crossover, Gen, Plotting to runaway, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-07-07
Updated: 2010-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-15 05:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4595469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calacious/pseuds/Kittycrackers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Xander visits Port Charles, New York and gets caught in the crossfire of a mob war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Angel-Like

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters contained within this work of fiction. They are the sole intellectual property of their respective creators.
> 
> Set in Port Charles. Ignores timelines of both shows.

### Angel-like

 

* * *

 

Xander gaped at the tall, muscular man who towered over him. He had a broody, angsty look which reminded him immediately of Angel in one of his funks. The guy even looked like Angel with his brownish hair standing up all kind of spiked-like, but the eyes were different, they were a startling cold, blue whereas Angel’s were more of a deep topaz. Shaking himself from his musings, he gulped audibly and smiled sheepishly as he carefully inched away from the man, holding his hands up in what he hoped was a placating manner.

“Please don’t eat me,” he muttered beneath his breath hoping that he’d not managed to walk into a vampire hidey hole on his trip to Port Charles. Xander scanned the dining room of the small establishment he’d wandered into, his eyes latching onto door. A heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder and he closed his eyes wishing for the umpteenth time that he’d thought to bring a stake along.

“What’s with the getup?” The man’s voice held a note of amusement.

The kid reminded him of Spinelli and he briefly wondered if they were long-lost cousins before brushing the thought aside. Regardless, all hell was about to break loose and he didn’t want the kid to get caught in the crossfire.

“Oh, um, Hawaiian pride week at school…?” Xander blushed slightly and shrugged.

The quizzical way in which the man was eyeing him made him feel like he was back at school in science class, as the lab rat rather than on spring break in Port Charles, New York. Which, in and of itself was a rather bad idea. He really should not have let Willow choose their destination. Not that he didn’t mind the excessive walking or all of the shopping they’d done in the Big Apple itself– much.

“You stick out like a sore thumb kid.” A sour-faced man looked him up and down in a dismissive way before nodding to the Angel lookalike whose hand was now squeezing his shoulder in a somewhat comforting manner. Strange.

“Ready?” The sour-faced man was peering at the man Xander was now considering in a slightly different light, like maybe the man was more of the savior than a heavy-handed New York thug.  
Xander felt the man beside him tense and he chanced a look at his face.

The tight lines around the man’s smile belied his tension and Xander shivered imperceptibly. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and suddenly had an urge to flee what had on first sight seemed like a nice local diner, a momentary peace from Buffy and Willow. A little alone time. He should have realized that, with his luck, things were never as they appeared at first sight.

“Kid,” the single word held some unfathomable emotion; Xander swallowed past the rapidly forming lump in his throat as the man’s icy blue eyes pierced his with a look which bespoke of imminent danger, “I think you’d better…”

Xander didn’t hear what it was that he’d better as the rat-a-tat-tat sound of rapid semi-automatic fire broke through the relative silence and shattered the front window of Kelly’s. And here I had such high hopes for the day, he thought as he was bodily pushed down and out of the way. His head bounced as it made rough contact with the authentic wooden floor that he’d admired when he had first walked into the establishment. A sickening crack followed in the wake and pinprick stars exploded across his vision.

“Shit, kid,” the Angel-like man was hovering over him, a pistol gripped in one hand, the other holding him firmly in place, “you okay?”

Xander tried to nod, tried to speak, but nothing more than a pathetic squeak issued forth from his mouth. His head ached and he couldn’t quite make out what was happening around him. Loud blasts of gunshots were accompanied by shouts and screams of pain, horror and anger.  
He reached a shaky hand up to his pounding head and pulled it back with a hiss of pain.

Closing his eyes, willing himself to breathe through the intense pain, he opened them once again and looked down in mesmerized wonder at the viscous, slick red liquid which coated his fingers. Blinking rapidly, he raised his eyes to the man who’d pushed him out of danger and was now shielding him with his body. His vision began to blur as the world swam in and out of focus.  
Panicking, he surged forward only to be pushed more firmly into place. His running mantra of, oh god, oh god, oh god, was punctuated by the occasional: let me go, please, please let me go.

“Stay still,” the man hissed at him. “You’ll be okay.” His promise was accentuated by a brief smile which somehow brought comfort to Xander who stopped struggling against the man’s hold and relaxed back onto the floor.

“Jason!” A voice called and Xander watched as his protector turned in the direction of the voice, bringing his gun to bear.

Xander felt the powerful whump as a bullet tore from the gun in his shielder’s hand and watched in awe as Jason rapidly fired off a few more shots, all while keeping him down and out of the immediate danger zone. Without so much as batting an eyelash, his rescuer was reloading and firing once again, a look of deep concentration on his face.

As quickly as it all began, it ended. For a prolonged moment silence reigned supreme and the world slowly came rushing back to Xander in a macabre juxtaposition of lush, glossy reds and stark, bleached whites. His ears rang and dizziness threatened to overtake him as he was hauled gently to a sitting position while sure hands ran over his body, assessing him for wounds other than the obvious one on his forehead.

“You’re okay, bullet just grazed your skull,” the words were whispered and Xander fought to maintain control over the panic which surged as he put meaning to them.

“Wh…wh…” his stilted attempt at speech was summarily halted as he felt burly arms surround him, pulling him into an impromptu embrace. The persistent thud of his rescuer’s heart filled his ears and drowned out everything else, lulling him.

“Shh…it’s okay,” Jason assured. “It’s all over now.” The kid was white as a sheet and Jason’s heart clenched as he imagined Spinelli sprawled out on the floor as this young, innocent boy was. The thought of it terrified him. He shushed the kid, thinking of Spinelli, running calming fingers through the boy’s dark hair.

“Bu…” As good as it felt to be held and comforted, Xander wanted answers.

“Jason,” another voice, this one businesslike, broke the moment. “We gotta get out of here.”

A low growl erupted from the man who held him and Xander’s eyes widened as confusion descended upon him. Was he in Sunnydale? Was it Angel who held him in comfort? He snorted and a soft giggle escaped past his lips before he could stop it.

“Jason!” Urgent tugging pulled at the man and he was pulled up with him. “Drop the kid, we gotta leave before the PCPD arrives.”

“No, I’m not leaving him.”

“C’mon, he’s just some lousy kid, kinda reminds me a bit of Spinelli, that freak hacker,” this statement was followed by a humorless laugh.

Xander felt more than saw the shake of Jason’s head as consciousness ebbed and waned. He didn’t have a clue what was happening and wondered dispassionately if he’d make it out of Port Charles alive. One would think that, after growing up on the Hellmouth, anything would be survivable. Maybe it would be a bullet to the skull which would kill him. Just a graze, the words seemed to echo in his mind and he took minor comfort in them as he thought that if it had been just a graze, surely Jason would have left him and gone with the other man. Why would he remain with him if his injury was not lethal?

“Go,” he managed to croak out, “I…I’ll be fine.” His words came out slurred and thick as darkness encroached upon and finally overcame him.

* * *

 

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	2. The Plot to Run Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willow and Xander did not travel to Port Charles for the fun of it.

### The Plot to Runaway

A/N: AU; mentions of abuse

* * *

  
  
“You’ll tell Xander goodbye for me?” Buffy took another look over her shoulder, fingering the strap of her carryon luggage as she looked for the brunette in the midst of the other passengers milling about the airport.   
  
Her smile faltered when she failed to make out his familiar form amidst the masses. She wondered, not for the first time since their five o’clock rendezvous had come and gone, what could have possibly happened to detain her friend from seeing her off to Sunnydale. Her mom wanted to spend the remaining week of Spring break with her daughter, which had the teen rolling her eyes and cutting the trip to New York with Willow and Xander short.  
  
Willow nodded in response to Buffy’s question, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She too looked around the crowded airport, hoping to espy her best friend, wishing, not for the first time, that all three of them had a cell phone.   
“Promise me that you’ll call your aunt,” Buffy said, squeezing Willow’s hand.   
  
“I promise,” Willow assured the worried slayer.   
  
She’d been intending to call her aunt, but was a little worried that her mother’s estranged sister would want nothing to do with her as they’d never actually met and she wondered if Sheila had ever told her sister that she had married let alone had a daughter. She wasn’t entirely certain what had happened between her mother and aunt to cause the falling out, but the two had not spoken since before Willow was born. Willow was surprised that her mother had even mentioned her younger sister to her at all, but, as her only other living relative, Sheila had felt it imperative that Willow be informed of Olivia’s existence should anything happen which might require the younger woman to take custody of her.  
  
“I didn’t really like lying to my mom,” Buffy spoke hesitantly, knowing that it was a sore subject for her friend, “and I really don’t like the thought of you and Xander here all by yourselves.” She was the slayer; she could take care of herself in a big city and worried for her friends in her absence.   
  
“I know,” Willow replied, sighing, “I’ll call her as soon as I get back to the hotel.”  
  
“Good, it’s just,” Buffy paused, “I worry about you being here, in such a big city, all alone.”  
  
“I’ve got Xander,” Willow answered, holding her chin up defiantly.  
  
Buffy smiled. “Willow, you know what I mean; I worry about the both of you being out here alone. It’s a big city, anything could happen. Just call your aunt, tonight.” There was a commanding tone in Buffy’s voice.  
  
Willow blushed and nodded, silently vowing to work up the courage to call her aunt later that night, after Xander returned to the hotel. She would need her friend for moral support. If anyone could understand how she felt, it would be him, and he wouldn’t judge her for it. Not that she thought Buffy would, but she didn’t know if the blonde could really, truly understand what it was like for her, growing up with the parents she had.  
  
“I’ll call, scout’s honor,” she said, holding two fingers up, smiling with a confidence she did not feel.   
  
“Good.” Buffy nodded, fully trusting that Willow would do as she had promised.  
  
“You’d better get going or your flight is going to go without you,” Willow urged her friend as she heard the announcement for her flight. She knew that Buffy would be able to sprint through the airport in no time flat, but didn’t want her to have to rush.  
  
“See you in a week.” Buffy waved a quick goodbye, turning once more to look for Xander and frowning slightly in disappointment when she couldn’t find him. She clutched her carryon close and, taking a deep breath, jogged toward her   
concourse.   
  
Willow watched Buffy leave, whispering, “Bye Buffy, don’t worry about Xander or me, we’ll be fine.” She hadn’t fully disclosed her plan to the slayer, hadn’t told her that she didn’t plan on returning to Sunnydale, and, neither would Xander if she had anything to say about it.  
  
She knew that his parents had not stopped drinking, that his father had not stopped beating him as he’d pretended. She’d seen some of the bruises, though he’d hidden them well, and was determined to keep him safe from his family and the dangers of living on the Hellmouth.   
  
Since they’d met Buffy, he’d almost been killed a number of times as had she. She didn’t want that kind of life for Xander or herself and had taken matters into her own hands, deceiving first her parents, then Buffy and her mom, Giles, and finally Xander and his parents, they’d been the easiest to deceive, not really having paid that much attention to what she’d been saying.   
  
According to the airline tickets that she’d purchased, and what she’d told Buffy and Giles, she and Xander, as well as her ‘parents’ still had another week left in the Big Apple. But, if things worked out the way that Willow hoped they would, they wouldn’t be returning to Sunnydale in another week, if ever.  
  
Keeping the parentals in the dark was all a part of her plan and everything had gone exceedingly well thus far. It was actually a part of the same plan she, Xander and Jesse had come up with to run away from their respective homes when they were five years old. It was just much more sophisticated now that they were older and had access to things like credit cards without a limit and cellphones, not to mention shady Seniors who had access to cameras and equipment which they could use to create fake IDs.   
  
Her parent’s had left a credit card for her to use in case of emergencies, and of course some cash, as was customary for when they left on extended tours. They were supposed to be out of town for a month. Her mother had a new book out which she was promoting, involving the power of positive thinking or something inane like that. Willow had been armed with emergency contact numbers and stern warnings not to have boys over and was summarily deemed old enough to be left home alone without a caretaker. Her parents trusted her. For all of their combined PhDs, they could be really dumb sometimes.  
  
Before they’d left Sunnydale, Willow had switched Xander’s state ID with the fake she’d paid Bernie, a Sunnydale High Senior, to make with the digital yearbook pictures that had been taken earlier that year. She’d also paid him to make one for her. She hadn’t wanted to make them out to be too much older than they actually were, just wanted their ‘licenses’ to make them old enough to find a somewhat decent job. Of course, if things worked out the way she hoped they would, neither of them would have to go out looking for a job anytime soon.  
  
After making sure that Buffy was well on her way and would make her plane, Willow turned and left the airport to hail a taxi. She hoped that Xander would be waiting for her at the hotel. She had something else important to tell him, but wasn’t sure whether or not she’d chicken out again as she had for the past month while she’d been scheming to get them both to New York. She hoped that he’d be happy about the secret that she had to share with him, not about her keeping the secret from him, but about what the secret itself entailed.  
  
Ten years earlier:  
  
“Okay, so this is how we’re gonna do it,” Willow spoke with utmost sincerity, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth as she stabbed the center of the map Jess had drawn with red and black crayon. “We sneak out of our houses after our parents are asleep and then we…”  
  
Xander absentmindedly played with the hem of his Scooby Doo tee-shirt as he listened to Willow plan their escape. His brow furrowed as he looked at the meticulously drawn map. He was in awe of his best friend’s map drawing abilities. He was the bestest of the best and had been chosen by the three in a landslide vote.  
  
Willow’s map, though pretty with its little red and pink hearts and flowers, was impractical. It only went to the other side of town and would not get them out of Sunndydale at all. Their parents would be sure to find them before a day had passed and Xander shuddered at the thought of the punishment that would follow being caught running away from home.   
  
Xander was proud of his map. He’d used purple, green and orange to draw it. The lines were almost straight as an arrow; he’d practiced lots with drawing straight lines, even without a ruler and knew that he’d made vast improvements. But, he had to agree with his best friends that it was confusing. Though it made an excellent maze, it would not lead them out of Sunnydale. It wouldn’t lead them to safety.  
  
Jesse’s map, however, was one which could not be rivaled, except for maybe by Columbus’ map. And, it led them from each of their front doors to a faraway place that Jesse had heard his parents talking about one night, called New York.  
  
Xander nodded at the appropriate places, agreeing with his red-haired friend’s plans, eager to go off on this great adventure with the two people he loved most in the world. Eager to get away from his father’s anger and his mother’s unhappiness, he paid particular attention to his role in their great escape.  
  
“Got it Xander?” Willow asked and he bobbed his head up and down emphatically. He knew what to do and wouldn’t fail his friends.  
  
“It’s got to be tonight,” Jesse emphasized, biting his lower lip.  
  
“Okay,” Xander agreed wondering why it had to be that night, but not wanting to go against his friends. They always seemed to know more than he did and he trusted them. If they said it had to be tonight, he was certain they were right.  
Unfortunately, that night didn’t work out the way it should have and the three children did not escape Sunnydale. Xander had ended up falling down the stairs due to a combination of his inherent ‘clumsiness’(at least that is what the doctors were told) and his father’s heavy-handed affection.   
  
He felt guilty for a good week afterwards, but his friends forgave him. And, although they spoke of running away from time to time, it hadn’t been as pressing as it had that summer and they’d all but forgotten of their promise to leave Sunndydale and strike out on their own.  
  
Willow, though, hadn’t forgotten. She’d plotted and planned and spent hours daydreaming of their eventual escape from the horrors of less than ideal home lives and the dullness that was life in Sunnydale.


End file.
